Fragaria plant named &#39;Malaga&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Fragaria  cultivar named ‘MALGA’ is disclosed, characterized by consistent production of bright red, long conical fruit with a very good flavor and medium consistency. Plants are day neutral and have a high yield of fruit per plant. The new variety is a  Fragaria , normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Fragaria ananassa

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘MALGA’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Fragaria cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor, Zenti Franco, in Verona, Italy. The objectiveof the breeding program was to produce new Fragaria varieties forcommercial applications. The cross resulting in this new variety wasmade during 2008.

The seed parent is the unpatented Fragaria ‘Irma’. The pollen parent isthe unpatented, propriety variety referred to as Fragaria ‘SG8’. The newvariety was selected during 2011 by the inventor in a group of seedlingsresulting from the 2008 crossing in a research greenhouse in Verona,Italy.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed byvegetative runners. This was first performed at a research greenhouse inVerona, Italy in Summer of 2011. Subsequent propagation has shown thatthe unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true totype in multiple successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘MALGA’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘MALGA’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘MALGA’ as a new and distinct Fragaria cultivar:

1. Bright red fruit color.

2. Long, conical shape of fruit. Very good flavor and medium consistency

3. Fruit with a good flavor and medium consistency.

4. Day length neutral variety.

5. High Productivity/Yield per plant.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘MALGA’ are similar to plants of the seedparent, Fragaria ‘Irma’ in most horticultural characteristics, however,plants of the new cultivar ‘MALGA’ differ in the following;

1. Plants of ‘MALGA’ produce significantly brighter red fruits.

2. The new variety has an improved fruit flavor.

3. Fruit of ‘MALGA’ is of more consistent size and shape.

4. The new variety produces slightly less fruit per plant than the seedparent.

5. The new variety exhibits better resistance to disease than the seedparent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘MALGA’ are similar to plants of the pollenparent, Fragaria ‘SG8’ in most horticultural characteristics, however,plants of the new cultivar ‘MALGA’ differ in the following;

1. Plants of ‘MALGA’ produce more fruit per plant than the pollenparent.

2. Plants of ‘MALGA’ re-flower in greater quantity and more consistentlythan the pollen parent.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘MALGA’ are comparable to the patentedcommercial variety Fragaria ‘Portola’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,552. Thetwo Fragaria varieties are similar in most horticulturalcharacteristics; however, the new variety ‘MALGA’ differs in thefollowing:

1. The new variety produces consistently larger fruit than ‘Portola’.

2. The new variety produces fruit with a better flavor than ‘Portola’.

3. The new variety produces fruit which is brighter red than ‘Portola’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Viburnum is illustrated by the accompanying photographs whichshow the plant's form, foliage and inflorescences. The colors shown areas true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographicprocedures. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques andalthough colors may appear different from actual colors cited due tofaults caused by conventional photographic techniques.

FIG. 1: illustrates in full color typical fruiting plants of ‘MALGA’.Age of the plants photographed is approximately 6 to 8 months.

FIG. 2: illustrates close up of the fruit.

FIG. 3: illustrate close up of the fruit, including a cross section.

FIG. 4: illustrates commercial size baskets of fruit, with approximately100 fruits total, exhibiting consistency of size and shape.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 2007 except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘MALGA’ plants grown in the Summer of 2014, inopen sided poly tunnels Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.Plants were grown on table tops with substrate bags of buffered cocopeat. No chemical treatments, including growth regulators were given.The growing temperature ranged from 10° C. to 26° C. during the day andfrom 6° C. to 10° C. during the night. General light conditions arebright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Fragaria ‘MALGA’-   Propagation:    -   -   Type of propagation typically used.—Bareroot plants.        -   Root description.—Densely fibrous.-   Plant:    -   -   Age of plant described.—Approximately 6 to 8 months.        -   Average crowns per plant.—5.        -   Plant spread.—36.6 cm.        -   Plant height.—19 cm.        -   Habit.—Upright.        -   Density of individual plant.—Medium density.        -   Quantity of stolons.—6-8 per plant.-   Stolon:    -   -   Diameter.—0.331 cm, after 6 months.        -   Texture.—Smooth, non-pubescent.        -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 1149A and 149B.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf.—Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Leaf.—Type: Typically a compound leaf with 3 leaflets.        -   Leaflets.—Average Length: 5.91 cm. Range between            5.25-6.28 cm. Average Width: 4.74 cm. Range between            4.06-5.29 cm. Shape of blade: Deltoid. Aspect: Concave:            Apex: Acute Base: Rounded Attachment: Stalked Margin:            Serrate to Crenate Appearance and texture of top surface:            Slightly glossy, glabrous. Appearance and texture of            underside: Glabrous, matte.        -   Color.—Mature foliage upper side: Near RHS Green N137 D            Mature foliage under side: Near RHS Green N138 C.        -   Petiole.—Length: 1.11 cm. Diameter: 0.57 cm Pubescence:            Small quantity of pubescence on adaxial surface. Color: Near            RHS Yellow-Green 145 C.        -   Petiolule.—Color: Near RHS Yellow-Green 149A and 149B,            colors present individually.-   Flower:    -   -   Individual flowers.—Type: Single, rotate flowers. Position            held on plant: Above foliage Diameter: 2.9 cm Depth: 1.8 cm            Bloom time: Plants begin flowering approximately first week            of May, with last flowering around September. Flowering is            not day length dependent.        -   Petals.—Quantity: 10 Length: 13.4 mm Width: 11.89 mm Shape:            Reniform Spacing: Overlapping.        -   Color.—Upper Surface: Near RHS White NN155B Lower Surface:            Near RHS White NN155B Texture: Smooth and soft Margin:            Entire Apex: Rounded, blunt Base: Blunt Size: Length:            1.34 cm. Width: 1.19 cm. Stigma color: Near RHS Yellow 6B            Style color: Near RHS Yellow 6B Anther color: Near RHS            Yellow-Orange 14B Filament Color: Near RHS Yellow-Green            150D.-   Fruit:    -   -   Predominant general shape.—Long, conical.        -   Variance in fruit shape between primary and secondary            fruits.—None.        -   Length.—Avg. 5.16 cm.        -   Width.—Avg. 4.28 cm.        -   Average typical quantity of berries per plant.—27.        -   Texture or evenness of fruit surface.—Smooth and glossy.        -   Interior flesh color when ripe.—Near RHS Orange-Red N30B.        -   Evenness of flesh color.—Moderately even and consistently            colored.        -   Exterior surface color when ripe, exterior.—Top: Near RHS            Yellow-Green 150B Side: Near RHS Red 44A.        -   Achene color.—Near RHS Red 46A.        -   Achene quantity.—Medium.        -   Calyx insertion.—Upright.        -   Size of calyx in relation to fruit.—One tenth the length of            the fruit.        -   Color of calyx.—Near RHS Green 137 A and 137B, both colors            present individually.        -   Ease of calyx removal.—Medium.        -   Firmness of flesh.—Fairly firm (498.8 g/N).        -   Brix at Harvest.—7.3.        -   Average weight.—26.8 grams.        -   Minimum weight.—22.4 grams.        -   Maximum weight.—27.2 grams.        -   Fruit peduncle length.—68.47 mm.        -   Fruit peduncle diameter.—3.35 mm.        -   Fruit peduncle color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 145B.        -   Harvest time.—First harvest: Third week of May, in the            United Kingdom, research harvest. Last harvest: Second seed            of June, in the United Kingdom, research harvest.        -   Overall cropping quantity: 711.9 g/plant.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Storage life: Storage life is a minimum of 6 days at 3 degrees C.

Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to normaldiseases and pests of Fragaria have been observed to date.

Temperature tolerance: Extreme temperature tolerance not yet observed.Plants have been successfully grown under test conditions in the UnitedKingdom and Northern Italy

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Fragaria plantnamed ‘MALGA’ as herein illustrated and described.